Simple breathing rule

• Breathe during movement.
• Briefly stabilize at impact.
• Don’t hold your breath through hard sections.

The fundamentals

1) Deep breathing

Deep breathing means breathing from the diaphragm (low and wide), not shallow into the chest. It’s quieter, steadier, and keeps unnecessary tension out of your shoulders and neck.

• How: Inhale through the nose and let the lower abdomen expand. Keep the ribs relaxed.
• Goal: Stay calm and oxygenated without “gasping” or tightening up.
• Common mistake: Lifting the shoulders and locking the upper chest.

2) Proper exhaling

Exhale on the effort phase. A controlled exhale helps your core engage and prevents “breath holding,” which causes stiffness and quick fatigue.

• When: Exhale as the technique lands (strike, kick, block, turn, or snap).
• How: Use a short, controlled breath out (not a long sigh, not a full shout unless required).
• Why: Better core connection, cleaner technique, less tension, and safer movement.

3) Timing your breath

Timing means your breath matches your mechanics. The breath should support the rhythm of the step, hip rotation, and finishing position—so the whole movement arrives together.

• Inhale: During preparation, chambering, recovery, or transitions.
• Exhale: During the finishing phase and impact.
• Keep flow: Don’t freeze your breathing during difficult sections.

Why this is for protection

In training and self-defense, breathing is not “extra.” It directly supports protection by keeping your body stable, responsive, and harder to break down under pressure.

• Core stability: A timed exhale reinforces the trunk so your posture doesn’t fold at contact.
• Reduced tension: Calm breathing keeps shoulders and hips looser, making movement faster and cleaner.
• Endurance: Efficient breathing slows fatigue so you can maintain guard and footwork longer.
• Composure: When stress spikes, controlled breathing helps prevent panic and sloppy reactions.

Timing

In most pattern movement, step + technique should feel connected. If your feet arrive and your hands “catch up,” timing is broken.

A simple check: if you can’t keep a steady breath rhythm while moving, your timing is likely rushing, stalling, or over-tensing somewhere.

Drills

• Metronome pace: Use: Metronome Pace. Keep breathing consistent—inhale on the setup, exhale on the finish.
• Exhale-on-impact shadow rounds: 1–2 minute rounds of simple combinations. Exhale on every strike or block. No breath holding.
• Slow-pattern breathing: Run a pattern slowly and smoothly. If you get “stuck,” reset and reconnect step + breath + technique.